SPRUIELL ON DURBIN: “The ‘who do you work for’ defense isn’t going to work anymore, but my guess is that politicians will be using it more often as bloggers start doing original reporting and covering live events. Why? Because bloggers often come from the ranks of working professionals — in this case, a lawyer — and will be drawn to covering areas where they can legitimately claim some expertise. Professional journalists are asked to jump from issue to issue, often with little time to study in between. When I covered the WTO ministerial in Hong Kong, I noticed that the most challenging questions came from writers for trade publications who knew the issues cold. Bloggers combine that expertise with a passion for politics, and that can lead to some very challenging questions for politicians.”